finn oliver at 13

one night last week, after the boys were in bed, i sat alone at the kitchen table reviewing some of finn's projects that he brought home from school. i came across a piece of paper that had his name written in the center of it, and from it, lines branched out to circles with a dozen or more words that all described what he loves. i forgot to ask him what this was all about. was it for his teachers, peers, a self reflection exercise?


as i read all the circles, i smiled and thought, most of these words are exactly what i would have written to describe finn's passions. this was comforting to me because as moms of teens know, we start to get pushed away as our kids strive for more independence. because of this, we sometimes question how well we still know our teen.
that little boy that followed me around the house talking incessantly about space and submarines is gone. he no longer shares every thought he has with me. he needs more time with own thoughts as he processes them and transitions from boy to young man.
this piece of paper reminded me i still know my 13 year old well. the best part is the realization that i know hundreds more things that he would never share on this piece of paper....all those things that make up his heart. i know what makes him laugh, the things that inspire him, his fears and what makes him feel safe and loved.


this is the beauty of being a parent. anyone who spends a day or week with finn will clearly learn what some of his passions are, but as his parent, i get privy to so much more. for this, i feel pretty fortunate. {i think the word 'space' appears at least 5x on this paper} 

finn oliver gerber, 8th grade, age 13